Tag Archives: exercise

Rowing WOD 3/18/15: Double Pyramids! – Post Distance and Thoughts

Posted on by
2

Rowing WOD:

Double Pyramids

The Renegade Rowing Team after their first Race

2 x 19min as follows …

  • 4′ @18 s/m, 3′ @20, 2′ @22, 1′ @24, 2′ @22, 3′ @20, 4′ @18

2min Rest

  • 4′ @20, 3′ @22, 2′ @24, 1′ @26, 2′ @24, 3′ @22, 4′ @20

Competing in the gym or on the water requires rowing efficiency.  Taking a little extra time once a week to focus on rhythm, timing, and overall form will go a long way in performance come game day.  Today’s Rowing WOD is a great opportunity for any athlete, experienced or not, to get a sense of form and rhythm without the pressure of intensity and competition.  Sometimes it’s good to slow down for an active recovery day in order to go harder and faster later on down the road.

Rhythm and Endurance are two necessities for successful competition in longer WODs.  A great example would be the KB Swings and Pull Ups found in “Helen”.  Those who find a consistent rhythm can flow through the movements naturally and rely on their aerobic endurance without dipping into their anaerobic energy supply.

In today’s Rowing WOD the focus is developing rhythm and endurance.  Another word for rhythm in rowing is Ratio.  By varying the ratio of the drive to the recovery rowers can maintain the same pace or split, but work more efficiently and make the stroke feel lighter or heavier.

When going from an 18 stroke rating to a 20 you should focus on more pressure with the legs and quickly redirecting the hands through the finish.  This will help increase the stroke rating while leaving you the same amount of time to sit up, breathe, and relax as you slide forward on the recovery.

Post you’re distance rowed to comments as well as your thoughts on Ratio.

Rowing WOD 3/17/15: 8x500m w/ 2min Rest – Post Splits and Focus

Posted on by
1
Checkout this Renegade Rowing fan!

Checkout this Renegade Rowing fan!

Here is a great warmup for moving in the morning for everyone as they prepare for Spring Rowing and warmer weather! – Moving in the Morning

Rowing WOD:

8 x 500m w/ 2min Rest

  • Race Pace
  • Race Focus

Today’s all about prepping for your next 2k.  Try to keep a consistent pace over all 8 or “negative split” toward the end if you’re feeling good.  Negative splitting means you pull a faster split than you did the last piece.

As a quick review for novice rowers, race pace over 2,000m will be at a stroke rating of 28 − 32 strokes per minute and a consistent 500m split.  The lower the split the better.  Good things to focus on include breathing, getting the knees down, driving through the heels, quick hands, and being smooth.  I also like to coach a smile or grin 10 just to take yourself out of your body for a second, have some fun, and then refocus with a fresh mindset.  Focus on one positive thought for 10 consecutive strokes and you’ll be that much closer to your goal.

Post your split for each piece and share what you focused on!

Where’s the fun in life? Our Reason for Competition in Rowing, Fitness, and Strength Training

Posted on by
Reply
The morning crew at CRASH-B 2015. Great racing everyone!

The morning crew at CRASH-B 2015. Great racing everyone!

Last week I shared my belief that life is all about motion and learning.  To live and survive, we must be able to move from place to place and interact with the world around us.  That’s great, but how does fun fit into that line of thinking?  I recently had an epic weekend with my college buddies and they reconfirmed my love for competition and sport, which is where I find fun in life.  Competition turns some people off, but let me explain why I think it’s an integral part of our daily lives that everyone should embrace.

Competition is the basis for all sport.  People play sports because they’re fun.  Sports are fun because every participant is given a chance to compete.  It’s not the outcome or the opponent that matters.  People enjoy competing because they’re given an opportunity to test themselves and their abilities in order to experience the thrill of an improvement toward a goal.  Competition can be both individual and team oriented.   By incorporating competition into everyday practice, Renegade Rowing allows us to track progress toward our goals, but more importantly to have fun and experience the journey.

Pat UVM CrewIn order to compete, athletes must develop mental toughness.  Firsthand athletes are developed through competition when they harness the power of the mind.  Our thoughts affect our feelings and our feelings affect our actions.  Anyone can develop an ability to do work with regards to fitness and rowing, but when work capacity is combined with mental toughness, athletes can control their actions and reach their goals.  Mental toughness is an athlete’s ability to commit to competition with a belief in oneself, to have a positive focus on the things they can control, and to embrace challenge as an opportunity for learning and self-improvement.

While the thrill of intrinsic motivation should be what drives us, we should not forget about the power of the opponent or the teammate in competition.  We can push ourselves asCFRowing Trainer Courseindividuals, but the opportunity to push ourselves against others will only make us better.  I’m a competitive guy and I like being pushed and challenged and testing my abilities against others.  There’s honesty in giving it all you have against others, especially knowing they’re doing the same.

Rowing is an Olympic Sport that elite athletes train for year round.  Some athletes may only compete 5 to 6 times per year and of those competitions they might only peak for one race.  Most other sports have seasons filled with games allowing for learning and development during competition.  Renegade Rowing incorporates daily competition so that athletes have the same opportunities that other sports have.  Renegade athletes will have the confidence needed to perform on race day.  By providing many opportunities to experience race day competition in practice, athletes will have a wealth of experiences to draw from when race day arrives.

If you enjoy the thrill of competition and are looking for a community of like-minded individuals who push each other to be better, Renegade Rowing is for you.  Share your thoughts, comments, and questions below.  We’d love to hear from you and compete alongside you!

Here is the training plan for the week:

RR Training Plan 3-16-15

Rowing WOD 3/14/15: 15min Pyramid and 12min Castle – Post Splits and Distances

Posted on by
Reply

Rowing WOD:

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Thor, Terese, and myself! Renegade Rowing Team Sign Ups!

15′ PYR30 (Pyramid @30s/m)

3′, 2′, 1′, 2′, 3′, 4′ (@26s/m, 28, 30, 28, 26**, 24)

  • Post Split @30 and Split @26** after Ratio Shift

6′ Mobility: Couch Stretch, Pigeon Stretch, Posterior Chain Floss

12′ CAS26

2′, 2′, 2′, 2′, 2′, 2′ (@24s/m, 26**, 24, 26**, 24, 26**)

  • **Target split at 26s/m comes from Split @26 after Ratio Shift in PYR30
  • Post Splits for each 2′ segment @26

I hope you all enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day weekend and you’re ready to celebrate the official day next week by wearing something green and working hard!  The focus of today is maintaining power with Rhythm and Ratio.  If the stroke rating goes up, the split should go down.  Fight to stay long and have ratio on the recovery.

Give us your best and share your results and experience to comments!

Rowing WOD 3/13/15: 10×1:00 On, :45 Off – Post Splits

Posted on by
Reply

Rowing WOD:

Checkout this Renegade Rowing fan!

Checkout this Renegade Rowing fan!

10 x 1:00 On, :45 Off

  • Goal Pace!!!
  • Post Goal Split for our next 2k and Results to Comments.

You’ve been training hard all winter with a goal pace in mind for your 2k.  Today is the day to attack it and dial it in.  Those with experience know the benefit of pacing, gaming, and executing a plan to produce a personal best performance.  In the end a game plan facilitates mental toughness and focus to deal with pain when things get tough.

Today’s focus is executing your goal 2k race plan at high intensity.  Set the monitor for intervals distance with 1 minute of Work and 45 seconds of Rest.  Row the first two pieces as if they were the start of the 2k.  Row the next three pieces as if they were part of the second 500m, Row the next three pieces as if they were part of the third 500m, and finish the last two pieces with a sprint like the end of a race.

This should not be an all out Max Effort, but rather a calculated effort at a split close to your goal split.  The goal should be to pull the lowest split possible, consistently through all 10 intervals.  If you have a good start and settle in the first two pieces and a solid sprint for the last two pieces then you’re average split for all 10 pieces should be that goal split you’d like to hit on the 2k.

Hit these next couple of days hard and earn that rest day on Sunday!